A combination piston and variable blade turbine internal combustion engine (100) comprising:
- i. a variable blade turbine assembly (T) comprising:
- a front side,
- a back side,
- a hollow stationary turbine housing (12) further comprising:
- a peripheral interior surface (19),
- a cylindrical rotor (5) rotatably provided within the turbine housing (12),
- at least one first variable turbine blade (7),
- at least one second variable turbine blade (8),
- a first gas tight junction (J1),
- a second gas tight junction (J2),
- combustion and exhaust chambers (14),
- a front turbine compression port (17a),
- a back turbine compression port (17b),
- a first transition point (16a),
- a second transition point (16b),
- a front fuel injector (49a),
- a back fuel injector (49b),
- a front spark plug (30a),
- a back spark plug (30b),
- a first exhaust port (23a),
- a second exhaust port (23b), and
- a turbine housing cam contour (18),
- wherein the rotor (5) further comprises:
- a rotational axis (A),
- a first side,
- an opposite second side,
- an outer seal surface (6),
- a first blade shaped notch (72) positioned on the first side of the rotor (5), and
- a second blade shaped notch (73) positioned on the second side of the rotor (5),
- wherein the at least one first variable turbine blade (7) is pivotably connected to the first side of the rotor (5) so that the at least one variable turbine blade (7) swivels both inboard of the rotor (5) into the at least one first variable turbine blade shaped notch (72) and outboard of the rotor (5) in response to a centrifugal force (51),
- wherein the at least one first variable turbine blade (7) includes a first variable blade apex (50a) for engaging the inner surface of the turbine housing (19),
- wherein the at least one second variable turbine blade (8) pivotably connected to the second side of the rotor (5) so that the least one second variable turbine blade (8) swivels both inboard of the rotor (5) into the at least one second variable blade shaped notch (73) and outboard of the rotor (5) in response to a centrifugal force (51),
- wherein the at least one second variable turbine blade (8) includes a second variable blade apex (50b) for engaging the inner surface of the turbine housing (19),
- wherein the first gas tight junction (J1) includes the outer seal surface (6) on the first side of the rotor (5) against the interior surface (19) of the turbine housing (12),
- wherein the second gas tight junction (J2) includes the outer seal surface (6) on the second side of the rotor (5) against the interior surface (19) of the turbine housing (12),
- wherein the combustion and exhaust chambers (14) is defined by the peripheral interior surface (19) of the turbine housing (12) the outer seal surface (6) of the rotor (5), the first variable turbine blade (7) and the second variable turbine blade (8), and
- wherein the combustion and exhaust chambers (14) includes a center point and being flanked by the first gas tight junction (J1) and the second gas tight junction (J2) in which simultaneous power and exhaust strokes (57, 62) take place,
- wherein the front turbine compression port (17a) through which partially compressed air enters the turbine assembly (T), is located immediately downstream from the first gas tight junction (J1),
- wherein the front turbine compression port (17a) further comprises a back end and an outlet through which compressed air enters the combustion chambers (14),
- wherein the back turbine compression port (17b) through which partially compressed air enters the turbine assembly (T), is located immediately downstream from the second gas tight junction (J2),
- wherein the back turbine compression port (17b) further comprises a back end and an outlet through which the compressed air enters the combustion chambers (14),
- wherein the first transition point (16a) on the peripheral interior surface (19) of the turbine housing is positioned immediately downstream from the outlet of the front turbine compression port (17a),
- wherein the second transition point (16b) on the peripheral interior surface (19) of the turbine housing is positioned immediately downstream from the outlet of the back turbine compression port (17b),
- wherein the front fuel injector (49a) for injecting fuel into and creating a fuel air mixture in the combustion and exhaust chambers (14) is located in the turbine housing at a position immediately downstream from the outlet of the front turbine compression port (17a),
- wherein the back fuel injector (49b) for injecting fuel into and creating a fuel air mixture in the combustion and exhaust chambers (14) is located in the turbine housing at a position immediately downstream from the outlet of the back turbine compression port (17b),
- wherein the front spark plug (30a), for igniting the fuel air mixture in the combustion and exhaust chambers (14) created by the front fuel injector (49a) is positioned at the back end of the front turbine compression port (17a),
- wherein the back spark plug (30b) for igniting the fuel air mixture in the combustion and exhaust chambers (14) created by the back fuel injector (49b) is positioned at the back end of the back turbine compression port (17b),
- wherein the first exhaust port (23a) is located upstream of the second gas tight junction (J2) through which exhaust gases leave the turbine assembly (T),
- wherein the second exhaust port (23b) is located upstream of the first gas tight junction (J1) through which exhaust gases leave the turbine assembly (T), and
- wherein the turbine housing cam contour (18) for forcing the first variable blade (7) and the second variable blade (8) inboard as the rotor (5) spins, is formed by the interior surface (19) of the turbine housing (12) and located between the first gas tight junction (J1) and the second gas tight junction (J2),
- wherein the turbine housing cam contour (18) includes a radius from the rotor's axis of rotation (A) which is greatest at the center of the combustion and exhaust chambers (14) and which gradually tappers off toward the first gas tight junction (J1) and the second gas tight junction (J2);
- ii. at least one front piston-cylinder assembly (Pa) for feeding compressed air to the turbine assembly (T) comprising:
- a front piston housing (15a) connected to the front side of stationary turbine housing (12) of the variable blade turbine assembly (T),
- a front intake and compression chamber (39) having a top end,
- a front compression transfer port (44), for transferring partially compressed air to the turbine assembly (T), located at the top end of the front intake and compression chamber (39) and positioned adjacent to the variable blade turbine assembly (T) so that the front compression transfer port is in line with the front turbine compression port (17a),
- a front compression transfer valve (42a) for opening and closing the front compression transfer port (44),
- a front air intake and compression piston (27a) which has a bottom surface and which is slidably positioned within the front intake and compression chamber (39),
- a front connecting rod (29a) pivotably connected to the bottom surface of the front air intake and compression piston (27a),
- a front air intake port (54a) located at the top end of the front intake and compression chamber (39) through which air is drawn into the front intake and compression chamber (39), and
- a front air intake valve (55a) for opening and closing the front air intake port (54a);
- and
- iii. at least one back piston-cylinder assembly (Pb) for feeding compressed air to the turbine assembly (T), comprising:
- a back piston housing (15b), connected to the back side of the stationary turbine housing (12) of the variable blade turbine assembly (T),
- a back intake and compression chamber (41) having a top end,
- a back compression transfer port (45), for transferring partially compressed air to the turbine assembly (T), located at the top end of the back intake and compression chamber (41) and positioned adjacent to the variable blade turbine assembly (T) so that the back compression transfer port (45) is in line with the back turbine compression port (17b),
- a back compression transfer valve (42b) for opening and closing the back compression transfer port (45),
- a back air intake and compression piston (27b) which has a bottom surface and which is slidably positioned within the back intake and compression chamber (41),
- a back connecting rod (29b) pivotably connected to the bottom surface of the back air intake and compression piston (27b),
- a back air intake port (54b) located at the top end of the back intake and compression chamber (41) through which air is drawn into the back intake and compression chamber (41), and
- a back air intake valve (55b) for opening and closing the back air intake port (54b);
- iv. an output shaft (1) for transferring the power created by combustion in the turbine assembly (T) being rotatably supported through the turbine housing (12) and fixed to the rotor (5) so that the rotor (5) and the output shaft (1) rotate at the same rate;
- v. a crankshaft (2) for controlling movement of the front intake and compression piston (27a) and the back intake and compression piston (27b), the crankshaft (2) further comprising:
- a first crankpin (31) pivotably connected to the front connecting rod (29a), and a second crankpin (32), pivotably connected to the back connecting rod (29b);
- vi. a means for synchronizing and mechanically connecting the output shaft (1) to the crankshaft (2) (M), for transferring rotational power from the output shaft (1) to the crankshaft (2) configured so that intake, partial compression, full compression plus combustion and exhaust strokes are properly timed;
- vii. a first camshaft (3) comprising:
- a front compression cam lobe (43a) located above the front compression transfer valve (42a) for controlling the opening and closing of the front compression transfer valve (42a), and
- a front intake cam lobe (26a) located above the front air intake valve (55a) for controlling the opening and closing of the front air intake valve (55a);
- viii. a second camshaft (4) comprising:
- a back compression cam lobe (43b) located above the back compression transfer valve (42b) for controlling the opening and closing of the back compression transfer valve (42b), and
- a back intake cam lobe (26b) located above the back air intake valve (55b) for controlling the opening and closing of the back air intake valve (55b);
- ix. a means for mechanically connecting and synchronizing the output shaft (1) to the first camshaft (3) for transferring rotational power from the output shaft (1) to the first camshaft (3) configured so that the opening and closing of the front air intake valve (55a) and the front compression transfer valve (42a) is timed properly;
- and
- x. a means for mechanically connecting and synchronizing the output shaft (1) to the second camshaft (4) for transferring rotational power from the output shaft (1) to the second camshaft (4) configured so that the opening and closing of the back air intake valve (55b) and the back compression transfer valve (42b) is timed properly.